Promise Kiss
by YaoiD
Summary: Neji is the new kid in a fancy all-boys boarding school. Now...who's that mysterious Nara boy, what's this about a curse...and did someone mention slavery?
1. New School Plus A Stranger

**A/N:** Right. So. As much as I am usually against high school AUs, I have to be a hypocrite for this occasion as the idea for this story crept up on me, held me at gunpoint, and threatened to drive me insane if I didn't write it down. It's more lighthearted than the summary implies, and not nearly as chaotic either hehe. Also, I'm new to teh whole submit-story-to-internets deal *because I was born in the stone ages when the only internet you got was when the fishing nets got tangles in the seaweed* so I apologize if I've done anything wrong...

**Disclaimer (are these even necessary?):** Not myne. But it will be...oh yes...it will be...

**Promise Kiss**

**-1. New School plus a Stranger-**

Neji's ever-present scowl deepened as a catcall whistled at him as he walked past.

"Damned hooligans," he muttered under his breath. Besides him, Hiashi frowned.

"I was assured that this school bred top-quality students," he said. Neji scoffed quietly, visibly annoyed at the young men who were walking past, all staring at him as though they'd never seen a Hyuuga before.

"This is ridiculous," said Neji irritably as another catcall sounded his way, "I don't see why I can't simply stay at the complex."

"Look, this cannot be helped. I have enough responsibilities as it is with my company, the family, and two daughters to look after without having to worry about what my nephew gets up to on a daily basis. Besides, this is the best school in the country; you have no reason to complain. I'm sure you'll make friends in no time," said Hiashi as they approached the reception desk. Neji simply scowled at the ground as Hiashi filled in documents and signed forms. Several minutes later, Neji was left in front of his dormitory as Hiashi drove off without a backwards glance.

The Hyuuga sighed. At least it was true that this school was the best, and most expensive, all male private boarding school in the country. The common rooms of the student quarters looked more like a five-star hotel.

Neji opened the door to his dorm, and was relieved to see that nobody was inside. There were six queen-sized poster beds spread evenly across the huge room, each with dark red velvet curtains neatly pulled back and a small end-table besides each bed. There were six polished wooden desks across from each bed, and a double locker-sized closet besides each desk. Nobody else seemed to have arrived yet. It was the beginning of the second semester, and Neji was starting what was supposed to be his fourth year of high school. However, because he was previously home-tutored, he was not looking forward to meeting his fellow roommates, who no doubt already knew each other, and the high school system, fairly well.

Neji placed his suitcase on the bed closest to the door before pulling out a book and finding a secluded area out on the lawns. The few people who passed by stared at him with puzzled looks on their faces, unable to decide whether he was a boy or girl, but the afternoon remained eventless. A bell rang inside, calling the school for supper. Neji sighed and left his spot, following the crowds of students heading towards the dining hall, ignoring the mystified and sometimes hungry looks that the boys were sending him.

Neji had asked if he could cut his hair, seeing as he was no longer living in the Hyuuga complex and therefore should not be forced to follow silly Hyuuga traditions, but Hiashi had adamantly denied him this, claiming that even though he was not living there, he was still a Hyuuga, and had to behave, and look as such. Now he had to put up with an institute full of horny teenaged boys thinking he was a girl. It didn't matter how classy this place was, boys would be boys, and Neji feared that his feminine looks was going to get somebody in trouble.

"Hello nee-chan, are you lost?" asked a leering voice behind him.

"I'll take you where you want to go," sneered another.

"I'll take you anywhere, including from behind," said yet another, catching onto his friend's pun.

"Come on, guys, act civilized for once. Ask her out on a date first," laughed one of them.

"Hey wait up, I want you to be my girlfriend!" said the first voice. Neji steeled himself and ignored the taunts, trying his best not to lose his temper. "Come on, pretty-lady! Don't ignore me, you'll hurt my feelings," the voice continued. Although it was easy to irritate him, Neji rarely lost his cool, but the day's events had been grating on his nerves, and as pissed off as he was, he feared for the speaker's physical well-being. When a hand landed on his butt and started squeezing, however, Neji's thinly stretched patience finally snapped. He spun around, grabbed the speaker by the wrist, and threw him over his shoulder in a judo-flip, before wordlessly walking on; a dark look on his face, ignoring the new stares that were being directed his way and the groan of pain from the boy lying on his back on the floor.

Proper social conduct forgotten, he stormed into the dining hall, grabbed whatever food was being served, and sat at the first empty table he could find before propping his elbows on the table and burying his face in his palms, trying to calm his nerves before he broke something.

"Bad day?" asked a voice behind him. Neji braced himself for another snarky remark, and blinked at his soup when none came. The speaker simply put his tray down across from Neji and started eating in silence. Neji glanced up at the boy sitting across from him. He was effortlessly good-looking, with tanned skin and dark hair, perhaps shoulder length, but presently tied up into a tight ponytail at the back of his head. He was plainly dressed in a shirt and jeans, and a simple chain ran around his neck and into his shirt. One hand was holding a spoon that was feeding soup to a pair of thin but soft lips, the other grasping a book that he was reading with a bored expression on his face. Neji sighed softly and felt, to his surprise, his day's irritation fading away the longer he sat with the impassive boy. He didn't bother replying, as he figured it was just a question out of politeness rather than concern, as they ate their meal in silence.

"Ano sa, Shika, how come you get to sit with the pretty new kid and not get beaten up?" a new voice interrupted the tranquil setting.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said the boy called Shika, not looking up from his book. The new arrival sat down in an empty seat and stared at Neji curiously. The boy had spiky blond hair and innocent blue eyes, and Neji couldn't help liking the kid, despite his rude question. However, Neji ignored him, secretly wishing he would either go away, or stop staring.

"Didn't you see it? Kiba got his ass handed to him when he tried to grope the karate-kid," said the blonde, taking a big bite out of the chicken on his plate.

"Hm," said the other boy, turning a page in his book.

"I suppose Kiba deserved it, the perve," said the blonde, ignoring the other boy's unenthusiastic reply, "Plus he was hanging out with those reject music students," he rambled on. Then his stare was directed back at Neji, "Still, you can't blame him. This kid really is pretty, huh?" he said. Neji scowled lightly, but decided to continue to ignore the situation. However, the tanned boy chose to look up from his book for the first time and directed his languid gaze carefully at Neji; causing the paler boys cheeks to turn a faint shade of pink.

"Yes," the tanned boy eventually said before looking back down at his book. This comment caused both Neji and the blonde boy to stare.

"Did you just…?" said the blonde, apparently flabbergasted. However, the other boy merely shrugged and continued reading.

Neji couldn't understand why he suddenly felt flattered. People had always commented about how pretty he was, and usually, Neji tended to feel insulted, the compliments flipping around and falling flat on the Hyuuga's pride. However, somehow, hearing this calm boy saying it felt so casually genuine that Neji struggled to contain the pleased blush that he was horrified to find appearing on his face when he caught a glimpse of himself on the back of a highly polished spoon. Neji scowled at himself and mentally berated his silliness.

"Where is Sasuke?" the tanned boy asked briskly a moment later.

"Probably discussing studying methods with Shino or something boring like that," shrugged the blonde, "Why?"

"Just wondering why you're here," mumbled the tanned boy, turning another page in his book. Neji couldn't help but be impressed by how he was able to concentrate on reading, talking, and eating all at the same time.

"Oh you know, I…," the blonde boy began, but then his eyes narrowed, "wait a minute I know what you're doing…," he said accusingly.

"I'm not doing anything," said the tanned boy.

"You're trying to get rid of me! You want pretty-new-kid all to yourself and I'm in your way! Fine, I can take a hint! I'll leave you to your romanticizing, lover boy!" said the blonde huffily, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes, "But knowing you, you probably haven't even introduced yourself or anything. Well, good luck. You'll need it," he said loudly as he grabbed his tray and stormed off.

A brief moment of awkward silence fell on the two remaining people at the table before the tanned boy sighed wearily and shut his book with a soft thump.

"Troublesome kid," he mumbled, putting his book away. Then he suddenly looked straight up into Neji's eyes and tilted his head lazily to one side.

"What is it?" asked Neji nervously.

"Nara, Shikamaru," he said.

"Neji."

"You're a Hyuuga," said Shikamaru, causing Neji to look up in surprise.

"How…?" he asked.

"Your eyes. They give a lot away," said Shikamaru, his lips curling into a faint smile when Neji blushed delicately at the ambiguity of the statement.

"I suppose the hair, too," Neji muttered, looking away from Shikamaru's disconcertingly perceptive gaze.

"Mm," was the last thing that was said before the two finished their meal in silence.


	2. New Friends plus a Weird Tradition

**Promise Kiss**

**-2. New Friends plus a Weird Tradition-**

"Looks like we're roommates," said Shikamaru as they arrived at the same door. (Well, of course they'd end up being roommates. Who do you think I am? Someone original?? Sorry, no more interruptions…carry on…)

"Hm," said Neji, trying to suppress his delight at this recent discovery. He opened the door, thankful for his quick reflexes as he dodged the shoe that whizzed by his head.

"I AM NOT GAY!" was the greeting that he received as he cautiously entered the room.

"YOU ARE TOO! STOP TRYING TO DENY IT!" was the answering holler.

Suddenly, everything went quiet, and Neji felt all the eyes in the room turn to him as he headed for his suitcase that was thankfully still intact and laying on the bed where he'd left it.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the pretty new kid," said a familiar voice.

"That proves it. You're gay, Kiba."

"I am not gay Naruto, shut up!"

"If you weren't gay, you wouldn't be attracted to the new kid!"

"I'm not attracted to him! Even if I was it would be because he looks like a girl!"

"Enough," said a gruff voice. The wild-looking boy called Kiba immediately went quiet and looked imploringly at someone half concealed behind a high-collared coat and round sunglasses, who had silenced him with one word. Kiba looked up in surprise when he heard Shikamaru start chuckling softly, and his eyes narrowed at the tanned boy as he collapsed onto the bed next to Neji's.

"Oh shut up," said Kiba with a growl. He took one last ogle at Neji before leaping onto his own bed and drawing the curtains around with a violent swish.

"Kiba is so whipped," sniggered the blonde boy, sitting on an empty bed and removing his shoes.

"Naruto, you've no right to talk," said a voice from the doorway. Neji looked over and saw a pale, classically good-looking boy with black hair leaning against the frame. Naruto visibly pouted, his childlike features looking even more innocent with that expression.

"But Sasuke, we're completely different," he said.

"How so?"

"Well, for one, I'm not _nearly_ as obedient," grinned Naruto. Sasuke stared at Naruto with a stony look, before an affectionate smile flashed across his face as he turned away.

"We'll have to work on that," he said, closing the door behind him and heading towards an empty bed.

"Everybody knows that foxes can't be trained like dogs," said Naruto. An angry growl sounded from behind Kiba's bed curtains.

"I should feel so lucky. The country's two prettiest men are sleeping in the same room as me," sneered Kiba's voice.

"GAY!" howled Naruto, collapsing on his bed in a laughing fit.

"SHUT UP IT WAS MEANT TO BE AN INSULT!" roared Kiba, another shoe flying across the room, aimed at Naruto's bed.

"This will go on for a while," a quiet voice said from behind Neji, startling him slightly.

"Does this happen every night…?" asked Neji, looking slightly dazed at all the commotion.

"Just the first few. Take a walk?" Shikamaru asked casually, leaning against the doorframe. Neji stood up immediately and they left the loud room as Kiba and Naruto started yet another of their bawling fits.

"Hey, guys, guys! Shut up Kiba, this is important," said Naruto as soon as Neji and Shikamaru were out of earshot.

"What now? If it's another scheme to videotape Mr Hatake making out with Mr Umino, you can shove it," mumbled Sasuke.

"No, not this time. It's about how Shikamaru doesn't have a master," said Naruto. Sasuke rolled his eyes and drew the curtains around his bed. However, Kiba's head poked out from behind his.

"Hey yeah…isn't that new kid a Hyuuga?" said Kiba, an impish glint beginning to appear in his eyes.

***

"Nice night," commented Shikamaru when they stepped out into the cold air. They walked together in silence for a while, eventually reaching a huge tree on the edge of the school property, looking off a mountainside as the rest of the city lay glittering before the two silent boys.

Neji leaned against the tree and stared out at the carpet of lights. Back at the Hyuuga complex, he had spent almost all of his time indoors, studying, reading, or practicing judo, and karate, or some other disciplinary sport, the result being his pale skin and pitch-black hair. He had never seen anything like this view before him, and a shiver ran up his spine.

"Cold?" asked Shikamaru. Neji shook his head.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, before Neji's curiosity got the better of him.

"What did Naruto mean when he said he wasn't as obedient as Kiba…?" Neji finally asked after a while. Shikamaru was silent for a long time, and Neji was just about to change the subject, sensing the other boy's discomfort when he finally replied.

"You are obviously aware that this is a very exclusive school, and the annual fees are ridiculously high, on normal standards," Shikamaru began. Neji nodded his head. Shikamaru sighed and sat down, leaning against the tree. Neji followed his lead and did the same, their shoulders nearly touching, but noticeably not. "Unlike those who come from families that run massive multi-networked companies, or own shares, or have old money that will never run dry, quite a few of the students are here on scholarships…," Shikamaru continued.

Neji waited in curious silence for the Nara to continue.

"Well, a couple of years ago, a few students came up with a system called 'Invested Servitude' where…," Shikamaru paused.

"Go on?"

"Well, basically, scholarships that this school awards only ever lasts for one year at a time. You can keep earning the scholarship at the end of every year, but…well; you understand that it isn't the most predictable. So, these students came up with the idea that the learners who are here on scholarships must become…pretty much a slave…to one of the learners who can afford to pay the fees. If the 'masters' are pleased with their 'slaves', and should the scholarship not be granted for the next year, the master must be willing to pay for their slave's school fees," Shikamaru said.

Neji scowled, "That sounds horrible. Is it even legal?" he asked. Shikamaru shrugged lightly, before continuing at the frustrated look on Neji's face.

"It doesn't matter, there isn't any paperwork involved. Just a…personal agreement…," he said, "So even if it was illegal, there'd be no follow-up. Why is it bothering you so much?"

Neji looked up in surprise, a scowl still on his brow, but not as furious as it was a moment ago. He shook his head, "I can't understand why anybody would willingly put themselves in that situation."

"It's a mutually beneficial relationship I guess," Shikamaru shrugged, glancing down.

"So Naruto and Kiba are here on scholarship?" asked Neji. Shikamaru nodded.

"Kiba's hard worker and a really loyal friend, despite his…uncouth ways, and Naruto…well, he's a good kid and he studies like crazy but…not the smartest. Still, he's got blind luck following him everywhere," said Shikamaru, "Kiba is with Shino, whose father is the head of a really successful surveillance technology company. Naruto is with Sasuke, old money," he continued, "Kiba lost his scholarship for the second and third year and Shino agreed to pay for him, but he's back on scholarship this year. Naruto's only had one scholarship for his first year here, heaven knows how he managed to get it, and Sasuke's been paying for him ever since. Looking at the two, you wouldn't guess how fond of each other they are…"

"It still sounds so…wrong," said Neji, frowning.

"You frown a lot," said Shikamaru, suddenly changing the subject. Neji looked up at him in surprise, but the other boy was simply staring into the stars. Neji silently looked up at them too.

"It's probably genetic. You should see my uncle. I don't think I've ever seen him smile. I don't even think he remembers how," said Neji.

"I'd like to see you smile," said Shikamaru quietly. Neji blushed at the comment as Shikamaru looked sideways at Neji from the corner of his eyes, a playful smirk haunting his lips. He caught the scowl deepen and he smirked. "I'm sorry. I imagine you get enough troublesome comments from the other kids without me picking on you too," he said, looking back up into the stars.

"Hm," said Neji, grateful for being able to hide his blush behind the darkness, not knowing how else to respond to the situation.

"Did you really kick Kiba's ass?" asked Shikamaru a moment later. Neji frowned again, causing the other boy to grin lightly.

"I had a bad day, and he pushed the wrong buttons," muttered Neji.

"I don't doubt it. Kiba is almost as troublesome as Naruto. I don't know how Shino can tolerate it. But…whatever suits them, I guess," said Shikamaru with a shrug. "Let's head back. They've probably calmed down for the night."

***

"D'ya think it'll be okay?" whispered Naruto, starting to get worried, "You know how Shika feels about the system…"

"Well, it's for his own good. Besides, this new kid deserves to be pulled back down to Earth. He's ego is bigger than his hair," growled Kiba.

"You're just jealous because he beat you," laughed Naruto, "Wait, wait! Shh! I think that's them!"

The door to their dorm opened and the two boys walked in to an abnormal silence.

"Looks like the lovers have returned from their midnight romp," said Kiba with a sneer, earning him two blank, pokerfaced looks from Neji and Shikamaru. "Tch. You two are no fun to tease," Kiba mumbled.

"Ne, Shika! I've come up with a great idea!" said Naruto as Shikamaru closed the door behind him.

"If it's got anything to do with Kakashi and Iruka, count me out," said Shikamaru with a bored scowl on his face as he took out a toothbrush and towel from a bag on his bed.

"That's what I said," said Sasuke's voice from his bed.

"No! Why won't you people let that go! It's not as if we didn't get a good show out of it…," mumbled Naruto.

"And also a thousand years of pain and two month's detention," said Shino, surprising everyone by joining the conversation.

"Well it's not about that!" said Naruto impatiently, "It's about…well…," he hesitated, "Kiba, why don't you tell them?"

"Fool! I'm not saying anything! I already got my butt kicked today it's your turn. Besides, it's your idea," said Kiba indignantly. Naruto sat there with a frown on his innocent face, an internal debate no doubt roaring within his usually silent mind.

"If this is about a proposed 'Invested Servitude' agreement, then no," said Shikamaru standing up and heading for the bathroom.

"But, but Shika! How do you know you'll get a scholarship for next year?" asked Naruto. Neji stared at Shikamaru.

"You're here on scholarship too?" Neji asked. Shikamaru scowled at Naruto, who cringed back in fear.

"I'm planning on earning my scholarship by getting the grades, just like every other year," said Shikamaru, leaving the room, the door closing behind him in a slightly louder bang than Neji would have expected from the formerly inexpressive boy. He looked over at Naruto questioningly, who glanced at the closed door with a pained look on his face.

"I told you," said Kiba, sighing and disappearing once again behind his curtain.

"I just thought…I mean, he seemed to like you," said Naruto, looking at Neji.

"Wait a minute, me?" said Neji with a frown.

"Well, yeah. You're a Hyuuga, aren't you? Your family is really famous for being rich," said Naruto with a tight grin, "But that's not going to help us if Shikamaru won't do it."

"I suppose he can always just count on earning another scholarship. I mean, he's done it for the past four years, he can do it again," said Kiba with a yawn.

"But…can't you see it?" said Naruto.

"See what?" asked Kiba, fluffing up his pillow. Naruto remained silent.

"He's getting tired," said Sasuke. Naruto looked up at the pale boy who shrugged, "It's not the biggest secret. He tries to hide it but you can tell. He may be a genius, but having to receive the best grades of the year, every year, is not an easy task, especially for someone who's naturally lazy like he is," Sasuke finished.

"He probably isn't aware that they stop giving out scholarships after fourth year," said Shino quietly after a short pause.

"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Kiba in surprise. Shino shrugged and sat down by his suitcase.

"I bugged Tsunade's office a couple of weeks ago and yesterday I heard her listing all the students who were receiving scholarships next year. None of you were in it. I asked her about it this morning and she told me that after a student's fourth year, they stop offering scholarships because of restricted funding. They only have enough facilities in fifth year for two thirds of the fourth year students," he said.

"But that's not fair!" said Naruto, with a grimace.

"It makes sense. At least a third of the students by the fourth are studying on scholarship, so if they lose these students by fifth year, they'll have enough facilities for all the remaining students. I've always wondered why there are so few fifth years," said Sasuke.

"And because they had studied _here_, they'll have no problem getting into any other school," agreed Shino, "It's the best solution."

"So…if Shika doesn't agree on the 'I.S.' plan, he's out of here for sure," said Naruto, looking perturbed.

"I see," said a voice from the doorway. They all spun around and found Shikamaru leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, and an indeterminable expression on his face.

"What are you going to do?" asked Shino. Shikamaru scowled.

"I'll think about it," he said.

"Wait a minute, what makes you think I'd want a slave in the first place? I'm not some creepy sadist who'll pay some poor kid just so they'll do what I say!" said Neji suddenly, causing everybody to stare.

"Neither am I," said Shino quietly, the comment stumped Neji.

"Who told you it was slavery?" asked Naruto, looking bemused. Neji glanced at Shikamaru, who muttered something under his breath.

"Shika just had a…bad previous encounter…with the system," said Kiba hesitantly. Shikamaru scoffed as he put his things away and then drew the bed curtains around him.

"We're basically just friends with a few more responsibilities," said Naruto with a grin.

"Responsibilities?" asked Neji doubtfully.

"We're like personal assistants," agreed Kiba, "We keep track of the master's project deadlines, test dates and homework assignments, help out with research and studying, and occasionally clean and fetch, if required."

"It's not that bad considering how much more we'd have to do if we had to work enough part-time jobs to pay for the fees," said Naruto.

"It's still servitude," said Sasuke's voice from behind his curtain, "Just let Shikamaru retain whatever sense of honor he has left. Go to sleep," he finished.

Naruto looked apologetically at Neji before pulling his curtains around him.

"Wait a minute, why did you bug Tsunade's office? Why were you talking to the headmaster about the scholarships?" Kiba suddenly asked Shino. To Neji's surprise, the other boy started blushing. Kiba did not miss this. "Don't tell me you're thinking about getting rid of me? If you don't want to pay for my tuition just say so and I'll figure something out," he said, a hurt expression in his eyes, despite his defensive posture and angry voice.

"No," said Shino.

"So? What then?" asked Kiba edgily.

"Hn," said Shino, looking visibly annoyed.

"No! You can't just say 'Hn' and expect me to drop it! Tell me the truth!" said Kiba.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Shino muttered.

"Tell me now, Shino! The truth!" said Kiba, beginning to sound slightly distressed. He had that look of a devoted dog that had just been locked out in the rain by his own master.

"Fine," said Shino gruffly, "I was going to ask if it was possible to donate the scholarship that you might have earned to Shikamaru because your tuition fee for next year would have been covered. But that's obviously irrelevant now."

Kiba went quiet.

"Go to sleep," said Shino gruffly, glancing at Neji with embarrassment.

Neji gathered his things and started heading for the dorm bathrooms.

"Gaaaay…," sang Naruto's voice as Neji reached the doorway. Then came a roar, as Kiba was seen leaping from behind his curtains and landing with a violent thump on Naruto's solar plexus.

"You asked for it," said Sasuke's voice as Naruto gasped in pain. Neji shook his head and slipped out of the room, a small grin, unbeknownst to him, threatening to appear on his lips.


	3. New Teachers Plus Green Spandex

**A/N** There isn't really any point to this chapter. I just wanted to include some characters that would otherwise not appear in this story because I LOVE THEM. So…feel free to skip it if you despise pointless chapters with the burning passion of a thousand hell-hounds.

**Promise Kiss**

**-3. New Teachers plus a Terrible Green Tracksuit-**

"Good morning, Mister Hatake," greeted the class as the teacher walked in twenty minutes late.

"Sorry I'm late, I was busy putting my life into perspective and lost track of time," said the silver haired man. He had his nose buried in a bright orange book, which obscured the lower half of his face. Naruto immediately declared him a liar, which he promptly ignored. "Sit down. Page eighty-four," he said as he picked up a piece of chalk with the hand that wasn't holding the orange book that he was still reading, his eyes darting from left to right, line by line.

There was a rustling of paper as the class turned to the respective page. The teacher began scrawling on the blackboard, his attention still deeply focused on the book that he was reading, his face buried in the text, yet his hand fluidly writing out equations and theorems on the board as if they were second nature to him.

"How does he do that?" asked Neji curiously.

Naruto grinned, "He's a genius like Shikamaru," he whispered back. Shikamaru scoffed at this.

"He's got photographic memory. He just needs to look at something once and he'll be able to reproduce it perfectly without even thinking about it," said Shikamaru quietly, "Sasuke can do it too sometimes, but it takes him a lot longer."

"He's always reading that book. Either that or he's got something else obscuring his face – a newspaper, a scarf, Iruka, a polar neck jersey… nobody knows what his entire face looks like," supplied Kiba.

"Except for Mr Umino," whispered Naruto with a smirk.

"Who's that?" asked Neji softly.

"He's the junior's biology teacher. Nobody is supposed to know this, but we caught the two," at this, Naruto nodded at Kakashi, "getting it on in this very room one evening. Umino Iruka used to be a marine biologist but after a bad accident, he became a teacher," whispered Naruto affectionately, "You've probably seen him around – he's got big scar across his nose, hair kinda looks like Shika's. He used to study marine mammals. Did you know that dolphins are really good at math?"

"Unlike somebody who won't shut up. Concentrate," said the teacher's lazy voice as a board duster whizzed through the air and smacked Naruto on the side of his face.

"Hey! Sasuke was talking too!" Naruto complained, wiping off the neat rectangular block of white chalk on his cheek, ignoring the other students' laughter.

"Sasuke passes in exams," said the teacher in a carefree, laid-back voice, looking over the top of his book at the class as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. The boys slowly dribbled out of the room and headed for the gym locker-room to change out of their green and black school uniforms into their sports kits.

"Yoshi, student-sans! I am your new gym teacher, Mighty Guy-sensei. I am from the youthful land of the sun, and I will be teaching all of you the art of physical and spiritual oneness!" exclaimed the new teacher as he bound into the gym in a one-piece green and orange tracksuit. All of the boys' attention redirected from Neji to the new teacher as they stared in horrified silence.

"Guy-sensei! You are most inspirational!" called a voice from the back of the class. Everybody spun around and spotted a boy with the same bushy eyebrows, hideous tracksuit, and pudding-bowl hairstyle.

"Lee-san, my magnificent student! I am honored to have you in my class!" exclaimed the teacher.

"And I am privileged to be gifted with the right to call you my teacher!" replied the boy.

"Oh god…," muttered Shikamaru in exasperation. Neji could feel a trickle of cold sweat slide down the side of his face as he regarded the two loud, green, and eccentric males.

"I understand that you have just arrived, broken and tearful, from an unyouthful math class with the hip but infuriating Misuta Hatake, my eternal rival?" asked the green teacher. Several students nodded. "Well weep no longer. Physical education is a worthy, if not superior, subject to maths, and it will resurrect your crushed youthful spirits. Our first assignment for the semester is the skill of _discipline_. I will be teaching _you_ the ancient, honorable art of sparring!" declared the teacher. He leapt in front of a nervous-looking kid and pointed a finger straight at his face. The boy's eyes widened in fear.

"M…me, sir?" he asked.

"You!" the teacher cried, "As well as all of your youthful and vibrant friends!" He grinned, a glint of sunlight sparkling off his teeth in a remarkably terrifying manner.

"Without a doubt," Shikamaru muttered boredly, "I'm the most vibrant of them all."

Neji had to cough to suppress his laughter, and the sudden noise brought the teacher's attention upon Neji.

"Oh, my boy! You are young, but what is this that I hear? A cough? You must train, and sickness will stay far away from the sunshine of good health." said the teacher indisputably.

"Yes, sir," Neji nodded nervously, hoping that this would satisfy the teacher, and make him go away.

"Young man, you show enormous signs of diligence. I can sense greatness in you!" said the teacher, "Tell me, have you ever learned any form of sparring before?" Neji nodded hesitantly. Suddenly the man pounded a fist into his palm and straightened up jubilantly, "Lee-san!" he called out.

"Haai!" the boy howled back.

"Class, I wish for you to see what I mean when I talk about the art of physical oneness. Young man, what is your name?"

"Er…Neji…"

"Neji-san! You will spar with Lee-san, and the winner will receive no homework for the rest of the week!" said the teacher.

"But Guy-sensei! How can we fully appreciate the honorable art of sparring if we do not train at home?" asked Lee. Neji felt his eyes widen as tears suddenly sprang into the teacher's eyes.

"Lee-san you are indeed an outstanding student!" cried Mister Mighty. Neji glanced at Shikamaru and had to hold back another disguised cough at the boredly bemused expression on the tanned boy's face. However, the teacher heard Neji's half-concealed cough, and immediately, and literally, sprang into action. "Okay, Neji-san, Lee-san! On my instruction, you will begin with the style of fighting most familiar to you… Three, two, one…fight!"

Neji was amazed at the speed at which the green-clad boy leapt into action. He just managed to dodge the kick directed at his head before he crouched down and swiped a leg across the ground, trying to trip the green blur of a boy, who jumped over his leg and aimed a kick at his shoulder, which he managed to block.

"An excellent start!" said the teacher, "I can see that you are both very highly skilled!"

Neji felt a little annoyed that he was suddenly thrust into a fight without having asked for it, as he blocked yet another of Lee's punches, managing to grab the boy by the wrist at the same time and throwing him over his shoulder.

"That was the move that he got me with!" exclaimed Kiba's voice proudly from the audience. He was rewarded with several impressed murmurs.

Lee sprung up from the ground and quickly dodged an attack that Neji had aimed at his larynx, leaping back several steps, at a safe distance from the paler boy. Neji straightened up and mentally evaluated the situation.

"This is very impressive indeed!" said the teacher, his eyes wide with pride.

Neji carefully examined the other boy's stance, and quickly realized that his next move would be a low-aimed punch, which would cause him to have a weak spot by his shoulder. Neji timed his counter-attack perfectly as the green blur rushed towards him. He side-stepped the punch, grabbed the boy at the shoulder, causing him to vault around and face away from Neji before the paler boy directed three precise jabs at the nerve along the back of Lee's neck, effectively immobilizing the boy.

"That was the famous three-point sting, a highly effective move by ancient eastern warriors, passed down through the Hyuuga bloodline!" roared the teacher, "I didn't know anybody still knew how to use it!"

Neji awkwardly tapped the opposing nerve to the attack, and Lee's body immediately loosened up as he stumbled forwards, but did not fall; quite an impressive accomplishment. Neji looked down into the other boy's eyes, prepared to congratulate him on a good fight, when he stopped, alarmed to find tears welling up in the large dark eyes.

"I…I didn't mean to…," started Neji.

"You are my idol!" exclaimed the other boy, bowing deeply, "I had not been beaten in a spar in all the years I have trained. You are indeed a highly skilled warrior!"

Neji stared at the top of the other boy's head in astonishment.

"I hope you have all learned something from that today!" said the teacher approvingly.

"That we must never mess with the new kid?" muttered a voice from the audience.

"That training and discipline will get you far! Schoolwork, career, extra-curricular activities. You can conquer it all with an arm tied to your back and a goat tied to your leg if you have _discipline_!" said the teacher enthusiastically. The bell rang, marking the end of the period. "Class dismissed! See you next week, my young ones!" exclaimed the man as the students crowded out of the gym, eager to escape the scary green man.

"Where did you learn to do that?" asked Naruto, eyes wide as they stepped out of the class.

"My dad taught it to me before he…well," said Neji with embarrassment, "I didn't want to use it, but that other boy turned out to be a lot tougher than he looked."

"Now I'm really scared of you," said Kiba, his eyes wide.

"It's an impressive move," agreed Shino, "Nobody can call you a wimp for getting beaten by Neji after that."

Kiba's eyes widened, "Hey, that's right! See! I told you he was tough!" Kiba exclaimed at a random passing second year, who had been minding his own business, and shrunk back from Kiba in surprise.

"I'd be lying if I denied that I'm slightly intimidated," said Sasuke.

***

The rest of the week went by uneventfully. Neji had already learned the year's syllabus from home schooling. Much of his time was consumed in the library, or in some secluded area of the school, avoiding the other students who continued to tease him about his looks. Mealtime was usually spent with his roommates, the two loud boy's antics rarely failing to amuse.

Neji was also inexplicably fascinated with Shikamaru's mysterious manner, despite trying his best to ignore his feelings. He often spotted the Nara sitting alone beneath the large tree overlooking the city from the side of a mountain. Nobody ever sat with him, and Neji often felt an urge to do so, but knew it would be best if he didn't act on it.

Eventually, Friday rolled by.

"Hey! Neji!" called Naruto's voice. Neji turned around and spotted the blonde jogging towards him, "You got anything planned for this weekend?" asked Naruto when he reached Neji.

"Just studying. Why?" asked Neji as they walked towards their dorms together.

"We're heading for town. You should come with, there are some wicked ramen restaurants there," said Naruto approvingly.

"Why not," said Neji. Naruto beamed at him.

"Great. Shikamaru's coming too," he said.

"Oh…," said Neji, puzzled at why Naruto felt he needed to supply him with this information.

"Shika's probably out by his tree right now, if you want to join him," said Naruto, heading towards Sasuke who was reading a book on his bed.

"Um…I see …?" said Neji, putting his textbooks on his desk and hanging his uniform blazer in the closet.

Naruto leapt onto Sasuke, who gasped out at the sudden weight on his stomach.

"Idiot! What was that for?" he demanded, sounding slightly winded at the impact.

"What are you reading?" asked Naruto, ignoring the question.

"Nothing you would know," sneered Sasuke, keeping the book out of reach as Naruto tried to grab it.

"Lemme see!" said Naruto, climbing further onto Sasuke, pushing a hand fully on the paler boy's face as he tried to catch the book that Sasuke was waving around out of reach. Neji shook his head quietly and slipped out of the dorm before his presence intruded on the two boys' rough housing on the bed, and decided to wander aimlessly for a while until dinner started.


	4. Sunset Plus a Smile

**Promise Kiss**

**-4. A Sunset and a Smile-**

"Nee-chan! Look this way!"

"Come on! Flutter your eyelashes at me! I'm desperate!"

Neji scowled and ignored the speakers. He was getting used to the taunts. At least they weren't as vulgar as the ones from a previous school that he had once attended for several weeks before Hiashi had come to his senses. A hand landed on Neji's shoulder.

"I'm not going to pick a fight with you, coz I heard about what happened in Gym class. But if you give me a kiss, I'll leave you alone," said a sneering face. Neji felt a frown appear on his face, and the hand on his shoulder fell away.

"How come you give that Shikamaru kid so much attention, eh? What has he got that I don't?" the guy sneered.

"Common decency and an intact brain," said a familiar voice. Neji turned around in surprise and saw Shikamaru leaning causally against a wall. Neji started to worry that a fight would break out, but he was stunned to see the furious, but wholly fearful look on the ruder boy's face as he and his little gang backed off without another word. Shikamaru glanced at Neji, a corner of his lips lifted in a lazy half-smile that Neji found unfoundedly charming.

"Is there something I might want to know about?" asked Neji, falling in step with the other boy as they headed for the tree that they sat under on the first evening.

"What do you mean?" asked Shikamaru.

"They looked terrified of you," said Neji, frowning lightly. Shikamaru walked on quietly. Neji sighed inwardly when he gathered that he would not be receiving an answer. "So what's so great about town besides the ramen stores?" Neji asked. Shikamaru looked grateful at the change of subject.

"Not much. There's a decent bookstore, with a nice cinema nearby, but that's about it," said Shikamaru, lying down in the grass. Neji paused, standing besides him.

"Would you mind?" he asked, ignoring the internal debate that he was raging against himself.

"What?" asked Shikamaru, looking puzzled.

"If I joined you…," said Neji, a pink tinge on his cheek. Shikamaru was silent, which caused Neji to glance down at him with embarrassment.

"You know, on its own, the sky is pretty boring, but too much cloud and it just turns grey. It's when the two are together that it becomes extraordinary," said Shikamaru idly. He looked up at Neji, "Your eyes are the same colour as the clouds against the sky," Shikamaru suddenly said, his pupils darting from Neji's eyes to the sky behind him. The comment caused a furious blush to attack Neji's cheeks and he hastily turned away, but not before Shikamaru noticed. "I apologize if that was out of line," he said, "And of course I don't mind if you joined me," he continued, looking back up at the clouds, "Please do."

Once Neji was positive that his blush had finally gone away, he delicately sat down, before lying back and looking up into the sky. He surprised himself when a sigh escaped his lips, releasing the pent up tension that he had not realized he was holding.

"This is nice," he said.

"It helps," said Shikamaru. Neji shot him a puzzled look. "When things get too troublesome, it helps to just stare at the clouds for a while. Forget about…the past. Clear the mind…"

"Mm," said Neji as a cool breeze blew across his face, picking up a few strands of his long hair and causing them to dance in the air. He felt his eyes slowly closing. He didn't know it, but at that moment, Shikamaru was gazing at him in wonderment, silently admiring the delicate lines and curves of the other boy's jaw and cheekbones, and the absence of a frown, smoothing out his face into a peaceful mask.

The two boys lay in silence as the day slowly faded away. Neji eventually opened his eyes and was greeted by a spectacular sunset over the horizon of the city. He glanced sideways to check if Shikamaru was seeing this, and felt his breath catch in his throat. The reddening sky had cast an amber light on the other boy's honey brown skin, glinting off the chain around his neck, and his eyes, which were open but half-lidded, reflected the light and illuminated a soft golden glow. These eyes were suddenly turned to Neji, and the Hyuuga failed to look away in time, blushing at the realization that the other boy had caught him staring.

"It's just, your chain…reflected sunlight…it caught my eye…," said Neji weakly, "Come to think of it, why do you always have it on?"

"It was my parents'," said Shikamaru, gently pulling the chain out to reveal two smooth gold rings, "Wedding rings," he explained. Neji understood the implications as the Nara tucked the rings away.

_Guess he's without parents too._

"This is what I wait for," said Shikamaru. Neji looked at the other boy, who had returned his golden eyes to the sky, "The clouds are great on its own, but it's the last fifteen minutes of one of nature's greatest symphonies that makes hours of waiting worthwhile." Neji gazed at the sunset.

"This is the first time I'd watched a sunset," he said. Shikamaru looked visibly surprised as he stared at the Hyuuga. "Usually at this time, I'm inside studying or training."

"Pity," said Shikamaru. Neji nodded, looking entranced at the sight before him.

"Although…," the pale boy paused.

"What is it?" asked Shikamaru. Neji shook his head and a small blush graced his cheeks once again.

"I don't think I'd have appreciated this as much…had it been with somebody else," he finished tentatively. His blush deepened at the ensuing silence.

"I had been wondering whether it was just my imagination, or if today's sunset was significantly more magnificent than the ones before," said Shikamaru. Neji understood what he meant and a small reluctant smile appeared on his lips.

"I'm glad I got to see you smile," said Shikamaru.


	5. A Shadowy Past and a Serious Discussion

**Promise Kiss**

**-5. A Shadowy Past and a Serious Discussion-**

"Neji-samaaaa!" called an overly enthusiastic voice as Neji stepped off the bus. The Hyuuga had stayed behind at school that morning so he could do some last minute fine-tuning on his project, much to Naruto's criticism, but had agreed to meet up with everyone at the Ramen store when he was done. Neji sighed and turned around to greet the green-clad blur racing towards him down the street, his pudding-basin haircut bouncing comically as he waved.

"Good afternoon, Lee," said Neji when the boy finally caught up, not a touch out of breath.

"What is the admirable Neji-sama doing in town today?" asked Lee as the two boys headed towards the city center.

"I'm meeting up with Naruto and the lot. Do you want to join us?" asked Neji.

"No, no! I'm here on an important training assignment with Tenten-sama. I'm simply waiting for her to arrive," said Lee, looking determined to wait with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

"Tenten?"

"She's my teammate from the girl's school. She specializes in weaponry, and I specialize in hand-to-hand combat. We fight in competitions against other schools. You should consider joining our team, Neji-sama!" said Lee, nodding approvingly at his own suggestion, "We could use a techniques specialist."

"I...um…I'd better not," said Neji, "Where is the Ramen store?" he hastily changed the subject.

"Ichiraku's? I believe it lies in the direction of the morning sun, just past the Mizuraki Bookstore. No doubt you're meeting with Naruto-kun? I admire him, Naruto-kun, he has excellent spirit. Unlike that Shikamaru-san," sighed Lee regretfully. Neji looked sideways at the strange boy.

"What's wrong with Shikamaru's spirit?" asked Neji, trying to sound casual.

"Well…I mean, he's very unyouthful, isn't he?" said Lee, looking sad, "I suppose I can't blame him, considering the dark shadows that tail him. Golden meadows shadowed by a mountain cannot produce good wheat, after all."

"Shikamaru's…shadows?" Neji asked confused.

"The revered Neji-sama does not know of Shikamaru's past?" Lee asked, his thick eyebrows merging with his hair. Neji frowned and shook his head.

"He always changed the subject…"

"I suppose he would. I believe you should know the truth, though. You see, Shikamaru-san was born and grew up in a rough area of the city. He used to get terrible marks as a kid, barely passing in school, and his parents always used to nag him about it. Anyways, his parents died in a shoot out a few years ago, and, to everybody's surprise, he was adopted by his teacher, a mister Asuma-sensei. This teacher was concerned about Shikamaru's poor grades and gave him an IQ test. Turns out, young Shikamaru-san had a genius IQ of over two hundred! But he lacked the motivation, you see. Asuma-sensei eventually managed to convince Shikamaru-san that his parents would have been proud to see him do well in school, and somehow managed to get him a scholarship to Konoha high school," said Lee conversationally.

"What happened then?"

"Well…one day, a man claiming to be Asuma-sensei's brother came by and…well. Asuma-sensei was murdered. The man almost killed Shikamaru-san, too, but, in self defense, of course, Shikamaru-san pushed the man's knife holding arm into his neck and…," Lee paused and let the implications sink in.

"Shikamaru…killed someone?" said Neji, eyes wide. Lee nodded ominously.

"It was in all the papers the next day. There was a witness and everything. It's how I know any of this. The incident almost risked him the scholarship but Tsunade agreed to let him stay on the condition that he was in the top three highest achievers in his grade every year. Shikamaru agreed, naturally. He didn't want Asuma-sensei, or his parents, to have died thinking that they had raised a failure," lee finished with a dramatic silence.

"I never knew he'd been through so much…he never showed…," said Neji, frowning deeply. Everybody that Shikamaru's ever loved has died…it explained why he was always so distant from his friends.

"Shikamaru-san is a strong youth, but that sort of strain is not healthy for anybody. He's probably been forced to grow up too quickly. I do not know Shikamaru-san personally, and Gai-sensei thinks that Shikamaru is the student equivalent of Kakashi-sensei – hip and cool…but I believe that Shikamaru-san is showing signs of fatigue and loneliness…," at this Lee turns his tearful eyes towards an uneasy Neji, "Neji-sama! You _must_ see if you can do anything at all to bring the life and youth back into the darkness of Shikamaru-san's soul!" Lee declared.

"I…can't do that…," said Neji awkwardly. Lee shook his head energetically.

"You have to try!" he nodded firmly before announcing that he had to depart, and that it was an honor to speak with the great Neji-sama himself, much to Neji's embarrassment.

Once the green-clad youth was gone, Neji released a deep breath and slowly walked towards the ramen store, a scowl deep on his brow. Neji sighed in frustration. He couldn't do anything for Shikamaru because of…that reason. Besides, what would he even say if he did confront the Nara? "Hey, I heard from some kid in my gym class that you've killed someone and I just wanted to say: I'm totally cool with it…"?

Before Neji could arrive at a logical solution, he heard his name being called. He turned around and spotted Naruto waving him over to a small little store that he would have missed had the glaring orange of Naruto's clothing not drawn his attention.

"Neji! I'm so glad you found us! Shika was starting to get really worried," said Naruto when Neji was within hearing distance. Neji glanced at the Nara who raised an eyebrow in a 'he-made-that-up' look, before examining the menu in an uninterested way.

"I'm not really hungry," Shikamaru said a little while later, putting the menu down. He got up and headed out of the store without another word. Neji debated whether or not he should follow, but Naruto made up his mind for him by tugging him down and placing a steaming bowl of ramen under his nose.

"On me," said Naruto with a big smile before he started slurping down his bowl with much enthusiasm.

"You look troubled," said Shino's unexpected voice. Neji stared down into his bowl, his eyebrows knitted together in a frown,

"Hey, yeah," said Kiba, examining Neji's face, "What's up with you?"

"Nothing. I just…," Neji said before pausing and poking at his food with a pair of chopsticks.

"It's about Shikamaru, isn't it," said Sasuke, startling Neji, causing the Hyuuga to look up in surprise to find that everybody at the table was staring at him knowingly, with the exception of Naruto, of course, who had a delicious distraction occupying his attention.

"How did you know?" asked Neji hesitantly.

"You're not exactly a ninja when it comes to these matters," said Kiba matter-of-factly.

"What…what do you mean?" Neji asked, feeling his face heat up.

"We have no idea what's going on in your mind most of the time, but whenever Shikamaru is around, you just go quiet, keep your head down, and blush whenever he talks to you. I think we'd have to be thicker than Naruto not to notice," said Sasuke. Naruto looked up questioningly when he heard his name being said, but his attention went back to his bowl of food when he realized that nobody was talking to him. Sasuke gave Neji a 'see-what-I-mean?' look.

"You don't know what you're talking about," said Neji, eyes wide in alarm.

"Don't worry. Shika is almost as bad as you when it comes to noticing things like that. He may be a genius but sometimes he can be kind of a blockhead," said Kiba, slurping up his ramen.

"So what's on your mind?" asked Shino.

"I bumped into Lee," said Neji. The boys waited patiently for Neji to continue. The Hyuuga sighed. "He told me about Shikamaru's…past," said Neji hesitantly, looking into the other boys' faces for clues regarding the authentication of Lee's stories.

"Ah," said Shino, looking back down at his food. Kiba also looked away and Sasuke frowned and stabbed at his noodles.

"So it's true?" said Neji.

"What were you told?" asked Sasuke.

"He…he killed someone," said Neji awkwardly, not knowing whether or not he was sounding foolish. To his surprise, the other boys sighed and nodded in unison.

"I'll assume you were also told why," said Sasuke. Neji nodded.

"Why didn't any of you tell me?" asked Neji quietly.

"Because we respect Shika," said Naruto's voice quietly. Neji looked at the blond in surprise. "He works really hard, and he never bothers anyone by asking for help or anything. He's never spoken to anybody about his past, or how he's dealing with it. Everybody only knows about what happened because of some newspaper article that came out after the incident. Half of it probably isn't even true, but he won't talk about it. We're worried about him, but we respect his decision to keep quiet. That's why we had no right to tell," said Naruto. Then his blue eyes met Neji's paler ones, "But I think it's good that you found out. Maybe Shika doesn't want to talk about it to us, but I think he needs to talk to _somebody_. We're all worried that he's going to crack," said Naruto.

Neji sighed and looked down into his untouched food, scowl back on his face

"I can't talk to him," said Neji.

"Why not? You're the only person he's shown any interest in since we met him," said Naruto cheerfully, confused at the scowl that deepened on Neji's brow.

"I can't…tell you why, but I…I can't help Shikamaru… Besides, how do you know he'll even talk to me?" he asked.

"Shika is good at hiding his feelings, but he's also pretty stupid when it comes to romance. We see how he looks at you," said Kiba with a smirk. Neji blushed at this comment, but puzzled everyone when an angry expression suddenly crossed his features.

"That's not true," said Neji firmly, "Don't go around casually saying things like that."

"Whatever, weirdo," said Kiba good-naturedly, turning back to his food.

"Ne, are you gonna eat that?" Naruto asked, pointing at Neji's bowl. The Hyuuga gently pushed the food towards Naruto, who grinned widely and accepted it, earning himself a smack on the head from Sasuke.

***

Shikamaru never returned to meet up with them later on that afternoon, and Neji was starting to get worried despite Naruto and Kiba's reassurances that "Shika is a big boy who can look after himself". He was not on the bus back to school either, and when suppertime rolled by, Neji was practically fidgeting.

"Neji, you really care about him, don't you?" said Naruto as they headed towards the cafeteria.

"No," said Neji with more false conviction than called for.

"You don't have to deny it so vehemently," said Sasuke, looking amused. Neji looked up at the Hyuuga with an indiscernible expression on his face.

"I'm afraid I do," said the Hyuuga, before turning away, a scowl on his face, "Besides, don't you think it's a bit late for him to still be out?" Neji couldn't stop himself asking.

"I'll admit, he's usually back by suppertime. Maybe you should talk to Tsunade, get her to keep an eye out just in case. But I'm sure it's nothing," said Sasuke, nodding towards the Headmaster's office as they walked past it. Neji sighed, nodded and stopped as the boys walked on.

"I don't know if I'm jealous or glad that Shikamaru finally found himself a pretty piece of –," came Kiba's voice as they walked off, cut off, no doubt, by a subtle look on Shino's face that everybody but Kiba missed.

Neji raised a hand to knock on the door when he was stopped by the sound of Shikamaru's voice coming from inside.

"I understand the implications, but is there absolutely no way…" said Shikamaru, sounding strained.

"You of all people should know that the last thing I want is to lose a top student, but unfortunately, unless you can come up with even half of the fees, we just cannot let you study on – it would be unfair to the other students who are working just as hard to make the grade. The only thing I can do is write a letter of recommendation that will get you into any other school you wish to go," said Tsunade, sounding apologetic. There was a short silence, before,

"Very well," said Shikamaru, sounding defeated.

"So you'll…you'll be leaving us next year then?" said Tsunade.

"I don't have an alternative," said Shikamaru.

Before he knew what he was doing, Neji opened the door and walked in.

"I spoke to my uncle. He changed his mind and is willing to offer you the bursary after all," said Neji as the other two people in the room stared at him.

"He…what?" asked Tsunade sounding dazed.

"Shikamaru applied for a bursary earlier this week with the Hyuuga Company. My uncle said he would think about it. He just called me back and said that he's willing to offer a full bursary for Shikamaru," said Neji, placing a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and squeezing hard when the Nara looked like he was about to argue. Shikamaru spotted the dark, determined look on Neji's face and decided it would be a bad idea to call the Hyuuga a liar in front of the principle when he was cheerful, never mind while he was in his current mood, so the Nara kept quiet, much to Neji's relief. Tsunade looked back and forth between the two boys, looking dubious.

"Why didn't Mr Hyuuga call me?" she asked.

"He always speaks to me first," Neji answered quickly, "It's just another one of hundreds of weird traditions," he said, running his fingers quickly through his long hair to prove his point. Tsunade sighed and looked skeptically into Neji's eyes.

"Get your uncle on the phone. I'll need to confirm this with him."

"First thing tomorrow morning," said Neji, nodding firmly, "It is customary not to accept any phone calls after five during the month of the deer."

"Fine. Tomorrow morning," sighed Tsunade sounding exasperated. She shooed the two boys out of her office before closing the door behind her.

"You shouldn't have-," Shikamaru began. Neji shot him such a dark scowl that the tanned boy immediately silenced, before the Hyuuga briskly walked off, leaving behind a faint scent of lavender and a slightly dazed looking Nara.

***

"Neji?" said Shikamaru's voice questioningly.

"What," said Neji roughly, violently turning a page in his textbook. The Hyuuga was sitting at his desk, doing some additional studying while the other boys were spending some quality weekend time on the lawns.

"Why are you…did I do something to upset you?" asked Shikamaru quizzically. He received a scoff as his reply. The Nara frowned lightly, feeling awkward as he stood quietly by the silent Hyuuga's desk. "If it's about getting your uncle to pay, you really don't have to. I don't mind leaving; I'm sure I can get into some other decent school-," Shikamaru started before he was silenced by a furious glower.

"You don't mind leaving, huh?" said Neji quietly, glaring at the Nara, "Getting my uncle to pay for you is not a problem, but by all means if you want to leave, just let me know and I won't make the phone call tomorrow," said Neji before standing up, shoving roughly past a confused Nara and leaving the room. Shikamaru stared at the doorway in bewilderment.

"Troublesome Hyuuga," he muttered under his breath before following Neji out.

"Go away," said Neji as he marched outside into the cold air.

"What did I do wrong?" asked Shikamaru again, surprised at himself for caring in the first place how the Hyuuga felt about him.

"Nothing," said Neji with a frown, leaning his head against the cool bark of the tree that he'd become quite attached to ever since his first visit there with the Nara. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, mentally scolding himself for being so weak. He knew the consequences. He knew what would happen…

"You shouldn't have told Tsunade that your uncle was going to pay for me," said Shikamaru. The scowl reappeared on Neji's forehead and the pale eyes snapped open.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you _wanted_ to leave. I thought I was helping you out but apparently I made a big mistake," said Neji irritably, sliding to the grass with a defeated sigh and crouching uncomfortably on the cold ground as he stared at the space between his shoes, his brow deeply knitted in a scowl.

"I don't want to leave," said Shikamaru quietly, sitting down beside the Hyuuga and turned his head to look up into the night sky.

"Then why did you ditch us this afternoon for god knows what reason, not giving anybody a sign that you're alright, only to be found talking to Tsunade about leaving as if it was the most acceptable thing in the world?" said Neji quietly, leaning his head on his knees, his hair falling around his shoulders, curtaining his face.

"I didn't know what else to do…," said Shikamaru sounding puzzled, "Why do you even care so much?"

There was a silence as Neji visibly tensed.

"I don't know. Obviously, I shouldn't," said the Hyuuga a minute later before the two sat in silence once again.

"Somebody I greatly admired told me a while ago that I cannot always depend on other people to solve my problems," said Shikamaru, resting his chin on his arms. "I've always based my life around the principle that I have to be able to go through it alone."

"On its own, the sky is pretty boring, but too much cloud and it just turns grey. It's when the two are together that it becomes extraordinary," said Neji quietly. There was a pause.

"That was a direct quote, wasn't it," said Shikamaru, the corners of his lips curling. Neji scoffed into his lap, head still buried behind his knees. "I still don't understand why you were so upset."

There was an even longer silence, both boys debating with themselves about what they dared admit to the other.

"I have my own reasons. But…mostly, it was because I was not partial to the idea of you leaving," said Neji quietly into his lap. Despite the confession being muffled and barely audible, Shikamaru heard every word.

"_I didn't want you to leave me."_

"Well, there's only one solution, isn't there?" said Shikamaru suddenly, sounding uncharacteristically energetic. Neji looked up in curiosity.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'd be very grateful if your uncle would support the remainder of my school career," said Shikamaru. Neji rolled his eyes, the frown still there but beginning to fade. "However, I will not accept charity, I'm not an armless street urchin," Shikamaru continued. He lifted a hand to silence Neji's protest before continuing, "In cases like this, I have to swallow my pride."

"What are you on about?" asked Neji, looking at Shikamaru as though he was going mad.

"Neji," said Shikamaru, his face completely serious as he looked deeply into Neji's eyes, causing the Hyuuga to blush again, "Will you, Hyuuga Neji, take me, Nara Shikamaru, to be your unlawfully bounded slave?"

Neji's eyes widened at this. He spluttered ungracefully for a second, not knowing how he could possibly respond.

"You'd be doing me a favor," said Shikamaru when he was clearly not getting an intelligible answer, "I'd never live it down if I simply accepted your uncle's money without earning it."

"You earned it by getting good grades," Neji protested, "And besides, I knew you wouldn't be happy with just accepting charity so was going to suggest that he supports both your high school and college fees on the terms that you go work for him for a set amount of time after you graduate or something along those lines," said the Hyuuga, the blush deepening further on his cheeks when Shikamaru continued to hold his gaze.

"That's then. This is now," said Shikamaru. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, "What, do you think I'm unworthy to be your slave? You're going to offend me if you say no."

"You are a bully, Nara Shikamaru," said Neji, looking away.

"Come on, Neji. Don't you want me?" Shikamaru asked, leaning in closer, a small smirk curling his lips when Neji almost choked on his indignation. Neji turned away from Shikamaru and looked back at him with a haughty scowl.

"Fine. Just don't go expecting me to start treating you any differently," said Neji with a resentful glare.

***

The corridors were almost deserted by the time they reached their room, but the ruckus that greeted them when they opened the door proved that the serenity was just an illusion created by well sound-proofed walls.

"SHUT UP NARUTO!" roared Kiba as a heavy book flew across the room and bounced on Naruto's bed after narrowly missing its target.

"Leave my stationary out of this," gritted Sasuke before snatching the book off of Naruto's bed and then whipping his own curtains closed.

"You've already screwed each other," _(chapter __2__ – edited)_, "why can't you just admit that you love him?!" Naruto yelled back, dodging an uninterrupted string of missiles in the form of a shoe, a stapler, a pencil case, and an empty juice box.

"It's none of your business, asshole!" Kiba shouted, dodging in turn the ammunition that he had equipped Naruto with in the first place.

"I'm just so sick of you pretending you aren't totally in love," said Naruto with a scowl. Kiba growled menacingly and glared at Naruto.

"Welcome back, Shikamaru. I'm glad to see you're still alive," said Shino's quiet voice. Breaking the tension and redirecting the quarreling boys' short attention spans to the two newcomers in the room.

"Likewise," said Shikamaru, "We have news."

"You got Neji pregnant?" Kiba sneered, earning himself two cold stares, "Tch. I don't even know why I bother."

"What's the news?" Naruto asked, flopping onto his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows.

"I've decided to accept Neji as my master," said Shikamaru. Naruto and Kiba stared at him for a while before they whooped in unison, argument forgotten, before disappearing into the corridors with a conspiratorial glance back over their shoulders at Neji and Shikamaru.

"Where are they off to?" Neji asked.

"No doubt planning your binding ritual like the good little girls that they are," said Sasuke's voice. His head poked out from between the curtains and he examined the two of them. "What made you change you mind?" he asked.

"There was no alternative," said Shikamaru.

"Wait a minute, binding ritual?" Neji asked incredulously.

"Yes. To bind master and slave. A spoken agreement sealed with some form of action witnessed by the participants alone," Shikamaru explained.

"You forgot to mention this," Neji said, narrowing his eyes at Shikamaru.

"I did, didn't I," the Nara said cheekily, earning himself a shove in the head as Neji pushed past.

"Tch. Typical Nara," he said.

"Troublesome Hyuuga," said Shikamaru with a small smirk. Shino gazed at the two of them in bemusement and swapped a short knowing look with Sasuke before he disappeared behind his curtain as well.

***

**A/N:** I have decided. In the next chapter, there shall be smut. Delicious smut. So young ones, look away. Or bear the scars of pervertedness forever.


	6. A Ritual and a Kiss

**Promise Kiss**

**Warning: **Ahead be smut. Turn away while you still have a chance…

**-6. A ritual and a Kiss-**

"What kind of a weird ritual is that?" asked Neji after Naruto told them his idea.

"What were you expecting? Chanting, live sacrifice and an exchange of bodily fluids?" said Sasuke humorlessly.

"Anyways you have to do it before sunset, then stay up there until after sunset," said Naruto.

"And you have to take this with you so we know that you said the pledge," said Kiba, holding up one of Shino's miniature bugging devices. Shikamaru looked at Shino in exasperation and received a 'he-made-me-do-it' look from the quiet boy.

"I thought this was supposed to be between the two people involved only," said Neji.

"Partially. You only need witnesses for the actual pledge. Afterwards you can just drop the bug," said Kiba. Neji sighed and took the bug from the wild-haired boy, then turned to the tree and started to climb.

"Remember, the highest branch you can reach, no cheating!" said Naruto as Shikamaru started climbing after Neji.

"Yeah, yeah, this isn't exactly rocket science," muttered Shikamaru.

As the two boys climbed higher, the foliage began to obscure all surrounding scenery. Shikamaru soon found his concentration wandering: specifically to a spot above his head. Since Neji had climbed first, the result was the Hyuuga's firm bottom constantly waving before Shikamaru's face.

"Stop staring at my ass, Nara," Neji called, breaking into Shikamaru's thoughts.

"Why would I want to do that?" said Shikamaru.

"You're denying that you were just blatantly staring at my butt, despite the fact that I was aware of you doing it for the past five minutes?" said Neji.

"No, I meant 'why would I want to stop'," said Shikamaru with a smirk, chuckling quietly when Neji blushed and climbed on without another word.

"Reckon this is high enough?" the Hyuuga eventually asked, resting on a moderately sturdy-looking branch.

"Yeah," said Shikamaru.

"Good. So what next?" said Neji.

"We recite the pledge, and then tie one strand of hair from each of our heads around the highest branch we can reach," said Shikamaru. Neji accepted the little slip of paper that Shikamaru handed him.

"_This_ is the pledge?" Neji asked incredulously.

"Yeah. A bunch of high-school kids made it up, what did you expect?" smirked Shikamaru. He grasped Neji's hands, feeling unexpected butterflies in his stomach when his skin made contact with the other boy's soft hands, and seeing the light dusting of pink across the other's cheek.

"I, Hyuuga Neji, do take Nara Shikamaru to be my unlawfully consenting slave, to have and to rule, through homework and cold mornings, till graduation do we part," Neji read, increasingly alarmed at how much it sounded like a marriage vow, and also how terrible it was.

"I, Nara Shikamaru, do take Hyuuga Neji to be my unlawfully bounded master, to serve and to obey, through deadlines and mood swings, till graduation to we part," Shikamaru read monotonously. Then he reached up and pulled at his hair tie, releasing his hair so that it fell around his face. He looked up when he heard a small gasp.

"Your hair," said Neji, eyes wide.

"It looks shorter than it really is when it's tied up, I know," said Shikamaru with a shrug.

"No it's…," Neji started. Then he stopped and looked down, his cheeks warm. He hadn't been expecting Shikamaru to let down his hair. It was indeed longer than he thought it would be, nearly passing his shoulders. It looked softer too when not in a spiky ponytail, and framed Shikamaru's face so that he almost looked feminine. Neji felt his fingers tingle with the urge to run his hands through that hair, wrapping his fingers around and pulling his face closer…

"Neji?" Shikamaru inquired when Neji didn't stop staring for over forty seconds.

"Mm? Oh, right," said Neji, quickly snapping out of his reverie. He lifted his hands, located a strand, and then winced slightly as he pulled.

"Which branch?" asked Shikamaru.

"That's the highest one I can reach," said Neji. They tied the hairs to the branch, then climbed down to a more sturdy, comfortable area in the tree; a section where five branches curved out directly from the trunk, creating a large concave dent big enough for the two boys to sit side by side and lean against the upright branches behind them.

"How long until sunset?" asked Neji after a short silence.

"Just over an hour. Then another before it's dark enough to be considered 'after sunset," said Shikamaru, settling in comfortably, propping his legs up against an opposite branch.

"You look like you can be comfortable anywhere," said Neji with a light smile, watching Shikamaru enviously.

"It takes years of dedication and practice," said Shikamaru.

"Yeah? Can you teach me?" asked Neji, playing along.

"I suppose so. There's kinda limited space here, though," observed Shikamaru, examining the tree.

"I just want this knot to stop digging into my spine," said Neji, indicating a bump in the branch that stuck out directly in the small of his back.

"Come here," said Shikamaru. Neji scooted closer. Then he felt his cheeks warm up and tingles shoot through his spine as a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him tightly against a warm chest and firm abs.

"This wasn't quite what I had in mind," Neji admitted.

"But it's comfortable, yes?" Shikamaru pointed out. Neji closed his eyes and gave a defeated sigh before leaning his head back against Shikamaru's chest.

"Yes."

He felt his stomach flutter when a deep chuckle lightly shook Shikamaru's chest.

"So…Tell me something about yourself," Shikamaru said a few moments later.

"I'm really not very interesting," said Neji.

"Well, you fascinate me," said Shikamaru, "So I want to know."

"There's not much I can tell. You already know I'm a Hyuuga. I spent most of my time studying, dealing with minor company queries on my uncle's behalf, studying, training or studying. When my cousin turned seventeen last year, my uncle gave her my job so I pretty much became obsolete. And here I am," said Neji with a shrug.

"What about your social life?" Shikamaru asked, lightly playing with Neji's hair. There was a short pause.

"I never had time to socialize," said Neji.

"What about friends?"

"You…were pretty much the first friend I've ever had, now that I think about it," said Neji with an embarrassed blush.

"I feel honored," smiled Shikamaru. Neji scoffed dismissively. The two boys sat silently a little longer. It was a peaceful silence, neither feeling pressed to make conversation as they felt each other's chests rising and falling, their breathing unconsciously synching. "Your life," Shikamaru said eventually, "sounded…lonely."

Neji looked down and studied a leaf that had fallen into his lap.

"It was for a reason," he said shortly before giving a sigh, "But now that I think about it…it never mattered…I…," at this, the Hyuuga paused and looked away. Shikamaru sensed that Neji was hiding something, but he left it alone, also sensing the Hyuuga's discomfort. Shikamaru leaned in and rested his chin on Neji's shoulder, closing his eyes as he felt the warmth radiate from behind the curtain of silky black hair.

"You know about me. Now you have to tell me about you," said Neji.

"I'm not very interesting either," said Shikamaru.

"More interesting than I am, no doubt," said Neji. He nudged Shikamaru gently in the ribs, "Come on, tell me."

"Well, I'm originally from Waterston," said Shikamaru.

"Nice place," said Neji. Shikamaru laughed lightly at the irony in the Hyuuga's voice.

"I particularly enjoyed the sound of gunshots every morning," Shikamaru chuckled.

"How did you get here?" asked Neji.

There was a pause.

"I won a competition," said Shikamaru, sounding uncomfortable. Neji closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.

_I guess he isn't ready to talk yet_, thought the Hyuuga, _not that I blame him_.

"Lucky," said Neji quietly, leaning his head against Shikamaru's shoulder.

"Actually, I'm lying," Shikamaru sighed. Neji waited quietly.

The Nara breathed in deeply, and then told his story. The details were pretty much what Lee had told Neji at the bus stop yesterday. Shikamaru lost his parents, and then his mentor, killing a man in self-defense and eventually ending up here.

"At first, everybody was afraid, but soon people got used to me and they just generally left me alone," continued Shikamaru. Neji listened silently; surprised that Shikamaru was willingly telling more of his story without being asked, "Two years ago, a… someone came to Konoha high. I was afraid of losing my scholarship position so I had agreed to being part of the I.S. plan…"

"Go on…," Neji said quietly.

"Well, turned out, he took the term 'master and slave' more literally than warranted. It wasn't a pleasant experience. He was eventually expelled when, well… he had tried to restrain me in order to force me to… then I had my hand around his neck…but when I saw Naruto I suddenly snapped out of it and…well, either way, I'm indebted to Naruto. He's a good kid. But you'll forgive me for previously having been so reluctant to enter this agreement," said Shikamaru quietly, "Maa. Why am I always at the butt end of fate's stupid pranks?" Shikamaru released a deep sigh.

"Thank you for telling me," said Neji. Shikamaru closed his eyes.

"I've never told anybody before. Most of them already knew about Asuma anyways. It was published in the papers the next day. The neighbors saw everything. Feels good to say it out loud though. It's like I'm releasing it from my body," Shikamaru said quietly.

"To be honest, Lee had already told me a couple of things, but I didn't want to believe anything until I heard it from you," admitted Neji. Shikamaru sighed.

"I suppose it's to be expected. People like to talk," said Shikamaru.

"Mm."

"What…," Shikamaru started. Neji waited for the taller boy to continue. "What do you think of me?" said the Nara hesitantly.

"I think you're very brave," said Neji, "And a bit unlucky." Shikamaru grunted a short laugh at this.

"Just a bit," said the Nara, "Although recently, it seems my luck is changing," he grinned.

"What do you mean?" asked Neji.

"Well, I met you, didn't I," said Shikamaru quietly. Neji flushed at the other boy's confession and couldn't help the smile that curled at his lips. "That made you smile," Shikamaru observed, a corresponding grin on his own lips, "I'm glad."

"You weren't wrong when you thought I was lonely," said Neji, shaking his head, embarrassed.

"You don't have to be," said Shikamaru, tightening his arms around the Hyuuga.

Neji shook his head, "Normally, I would have disagreed…but," the Hyuuga paused. Shikamaru waited patiently for him to continue. "You've taught me something," Neji eventually said.

"Me?" Shikamaru asked bemusedly.

"Yes," said Neji seriously, "You've shown me that fear is fruitless. That Fate does not exist, and that you choose your own future. The most important thing is just to love somebody, no matter the consequences, or what you're afraid would happen, or what haunts you from the past. If you love somebody, you just have to give it your all and hope for the best," said Neji quietly.

"I guess you're right," said Shikamaru, staring at Neji in wonderment.

"What?" Neji asked when he caught the look that the Nara was giving him. He blushed when Shikamaru leaned in and gently kissed Neji on the cheek. "What was that for?" Neji asked, blushing furiously as he half-heartedly struggled to move away from Shikamaru's grasp.

"Thanks for calling your uncle this morning," said Shikamaru.

"Don't mention it. I did it for me," said Neji, looking determinably away from the Nara's face. Shikamaru gazed at the top of the Hyuuga's hair, a smile on his lips.

"What time is it?" asked Neji, noticing that the leaves around them were starting to reflect a dim red light, indicating that the sun was finally setting outside the canopy of the tree. "It's five pm, master," said Shikamaru with a smirk.

"Don't call me that," said Neji with a light frown.

"I apologize, Neji-dono," said Shikamaru playfully, receiving a slap on the thigh. "I will willingly take your punishment, my liege," he continued, earning himself an elbow in the side.

"Shut up, bastard," growled Neji, making to pull away but Shikamaru only tightened his grip on the Nara's waist.

"Am I displeasing you, master?" asked Shikamaru gently into Neji's ear, causing the paler boy to shudder deliciously, a movement that the Nara did not miss. "I don't want to upset you in any way, of course. I'll do whatever you want if you'll forgive me, my lord," Shikamaru continued. Neji growled deep in his throat, a sound that sent tingles down the taller boy's spine, causing a certain organ to stir awake. Neji felt Shikamaru's grip slacken and he took the opportunity to scoot away, an indignant scowl now on his face. Shikamaru chuckled playfully.

"That's not funny," said Neji, looking away, "My uncle insists that all the servants called us 'master', despite my protests. Even when I personally tell them not to do it, they were too afraid to stop. The whole idea of obligatory servitude sickens me…" said the Hyuuga, the frown firmly back in place.

"But my lord, I _want_ to fulfill you," Shikamaru said, grinning evilly as he leaned closer and stared tauntingly into Neji's eyes.

"Shut up."

"Master, please don't forsake your loyal servant," said Shikamaru sounding quite convincingly desperate.

"Shut up, Nara."

"Why will my master not believe me?" Shikamaru continued, shaking his head sadly, "All I want is to satisfy him…" Shikamaru taunted, leaning even closer so that he was almost nose to nose with the angry Hyuuga.

"Shut up!" Neji said with a growl, leaning forwards and smashing his lips to Shikamaru's, silencing the tanned youth. He suddenly realized what he'd just done and hastily pulled away. "I'm so sorry," he gasped with a blush. He opened his mouth to apologize some more, but instead released a moan in it's place when Shikamaru grasped the back of Neji's head and pulled him close once more, pressing his hungry lips to the Hyuuga's. Neji blushed as he felt a soft tongue gently swipe across his lips as he parted them, allowing the Nara's tongue to enter his mouth. His heart beat sped up further as Shikamaru groaned quietly when the Hyuuga started sucking on the soft organ in his mouth.

"Shi…Shikamaru…," Neji gasped as the taller boy trailed kisses down his neck, his large calloused hands undoing buttons as he licked and suckled on Neji's pale skin.

"Mmh," responded Shikamaru as he pulled off Neji's shirt.

Shikamaru pulled away from the kiss, a small grin on his lips as Neji released a small whimper of complaint. The Nara felt butterflies in his stomach as his eyes trailed down Neji's lean, creamy chest, rising and falling rapidly as he panted lightly from the kiss. His eyes dragged lower, over firm abs and following a dusting treasure trail into the Hyuuga's pants that covered a delicious straining bulge. Shikamaru grinned as he gently cupped his palm over it, causing the paler boy to gasp. He looked up into Neji's eyes and felt his pulse quicken at the lustful, unfocused gaze he received.

"Shika…" Neji said softly, bringing his hands up and threading his fingers into Shikamaru's hair. He gently pulled the taller boy's head lower and leaned upwards to kiss him again. He moaned quietly when he felt his zipper being pulled down over his organ. A shiver ran through his body as a warm hand caressed his back and another entered his boxers, forcing a gasp out from his lips when taunting fingers brushed against his straining hardness. He reached up and grabbed onto a branch as the warm fingers wrapped themselves around his penis and slowly dragged up and down, causing his back to arch as he clenched his teeth to hold back his groans.

"Neji…I want to hear you moan," said Shikamaru softly, whispering into Neji's ear before dragging his tongue over it, causing the paler boy to gasp, before he released a soft moan. Shikamaru's lips curled upwards as he gazed upon Neji's face. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted as little groans and gasps escaped from his chest whenever Shikamaru squeezed his organ, or ran a thumb over the tip. "Delicious…," he whispered gently, leaning forwards and licking a trail down his neck before lowering his head to between Neji's legs. He placed his hands on the other boy's pale hips and pulled him into a lying down position before hooking the Hyuuga's long legs over a couple of branches.

"Shik…ahh …what…mmh!" Neji moaned incoherently as Shika lowered his head and licked at Neji's tip.

"I just want to taste you," grinned Shikamaru, before dragging his tongue up Neji's leaking organ, now rock hard due to Shika's ministrations. "Mmh… better than I imagined," he continued, scooping up a bead of clear liquid from Neji's tip, smiling at the breathless moans coming from the other's lips. He wrapped his lips around Neji's penis before sinking lower, taking the whole organ into his mouth. He moaned deeply, sending vibrations over the sensitive skin and straight up Neji's spine as the Hyuuga released a cry of pleasure, his back arching upwards of its own accord.

"Shikamaru…more…" Neji moaned, his breath coming in short gasps as Shikamaru's head started bobbing up and down on Neji's cock. His pale eyes suddenly flew open when he felt something moist probe at his entrance. "Wait…what are you…," Neji tried to ask, his question punctuated by a deep groan as Shikamaru's finger pushed further against his opening. He arched his back as the Nara's attention to his penis doubled, distracting Neji from the odd feeling invading his arse. He writhed uncomfortably as the finger penetrated him further, twisting within him as it tried to loosen him up. "Ahh…Shikamaru!" Neji gasped, throwing his head back as he felt something inside him being struck. "There…," he moaned.

"Mmh," moaned the Nara, lips still around Neji's organ. He sucked harder before gently slipping another finger into Neji's depth, shuddering at the mouth-watering whimpers and moans leaving the Hyuuga's lips.

"Sh…Shikamaru," Neji groaned, gasping in pleasure as his dick was swallowed time and again by a warm, wet cavern and the fingers inside him kept nudging at that wonderful spot, sending shivers up his spine. Then a third finger pressed against his hole, sending a shock of pain up his spine. He gritted his teeth and focused on relaxing, a small whimper of pain leaving his lips as the finger slipped inside of him. He felt Shikamaru's lips beginning to leave his dick and he whimpered. "No…don't…," he said softly. Suddenly everything stopped. His eyes snapped open and he stared up at the tanned boy, his breath still coming in gasps.

"No?" asked Shikamaru, looking slightly scared, "I…I'm so sorry," he said suddenly, a deep look of regret suddenly appearing in his eyes as he pulled out from Neji and backed away, looking deeply apologetic as he stared into Neji's eyes which were still clouded over in lust. The Hyuuga's pale eyes widened in sudden realization at what the Nara must have though he meant and quickly leaned in closer and wrapped his arms around Shikamaru's waist, causing the Nara's eyes to widen in confusion.

"I didn't mean that," Neji said quickly, pressing a kiss to Shikamaru's lips, "I meant don't stop," he said huskily, licking along the shell of Shikamaru's ear. A shudder ran through the tanned boy's body and Neji backed up to look into Shikamaru's eyes. He smiled gently as the look of alarm faded from the handsome face.

"I'm sorry…I thought…," said Shikamaru, looking down.

"I know. I apologize for misleading you," said Neji gently. Shikamaru shook his head.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said softly, burying his face in Neji's soft hair.

"You won't," said Neji with a smile, "I know you won't."

"It's just that…everybody I've ever loved had been hurt…I'd hate myself if you were too…" said Shikamaru looking lost. Neji stared at the Nara.

"Shikamaru…do you…did you just imply…that you love me?" Neji asked, eyes wide. He felt his heart skip a beat when a small blush appeared on Shikamaru's face.

"I…guess I did," said Shikamaru quietly. Neji's heart soared as he leaned forwards and pressed his lips to Shikamaru's.

"This had better not turn out to be a dream," said Neji with a smile on his face. Shikamaru couldn't help but stare. He'd never seen the Hyuuga look so happy, and he was sure that this was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

"You're smiling," said Shikamaru, cupping a hand against Neji's soft face. They Hyuuga looked quizzically at Shikamaru, his head tilted slightly to the side, leaning into the hand. "It's beautiful," whispered the Nara, leaning in and tenderly pressing a soft kiss against Neji's lips. "Never leave me," said Shikamaru softly, wrapping his arms around Neji's shoulders and pulling him close into an embrace. He gently kissed Neji's neck and shoulders, causing the Hyuuga to release delicious little noises once again.

"Never… I promise," gasped Neji, arching his body against Shikamaru's.

"Mmh…now then…where were we," said the taller boy with an evil grin on his lips. Neji's eyes widened as the Nara pushed him back against a curve in the tree and quickly shimmied down the toned, pale body before wrapping his fist firmly around the still hard penis, forcing a cry of delicious pleasure from Neji's lips once again. The Hyuuga's eyes widened when something different probed at his entrance and he looked down in surprise.

"Shikamaru!" he gasped when he realized what the Nara was going to do. Shikamaru looked up from his position between the Hyuuga's legs and he grinned, licking his lips.

"May I?" Shikamaru asked dragging his fist up Neji's dick and rubbing the bead of pre-come that appeared on the tip around the head of the straining member. Neji gulped, nodding his head hesitantly, before squeezing his eyes shut as a wet organ started probing at his sensitive hole. He released a groan, throwing his head back as Shikamaru's tongue pressed deeper into him, crying out in pleasure at the unfamiliar but delicious feeling invading his body.

"Ahh…Shika…I'm so close…" he moaned, arching his back as he felt himself nearing completion. Shikamaru's tongue writhed inside of him, causing him to moan loudly again as he wrapped his fingers in the Nara's hair. "Yess…," he moaned, releasing soft cries of pleasure as he was brought closer to completion. Shikamaru suddenly released Neji's dick, causing the Hyuuga to whimper, but quickly replaced his fist with his lips as he sucked the organ deep into his mouth, thrusting two fingers deep into Neji's tunnel, making the Hyuuga see white light behind his shut eyelids as he arched his back, a loud moan of pleasure scared a pair of birds away as he felt his release spurt directly into Shikamaru's mouth, his throat tightening as he swallowed every drop.

"Shikamaru...," Neji panted as he drifted down from his climax.

"Mmh…that was delicious," said Shikamaru with a grin, sliding back up the beautiful pale body and resting his head against Neji's chest.

Back in the dorm room, a group of boys sat in hushed silence around a small radio transmitter.

"…That was hot," said Naruto.


End file.
